Benoit de Lavarene, marketing manager with Danone Romania, says the French group's target is to turn Romania into a regional hub.
"The Romanian market is witnessing the fastest growth pace in the region, which is also propping up the regional expansion of the Balkan market. I believe the growth pace of the Romanian market of fresh dairy products will be 50% higher than the one registered by Bulgaria," he says.
Lavarene explained that the idea of a regional business was not specific to the French group, but specified that such a form of organisation was based on the possibility of transfers between the plants the group owns in these countries. In his opinion, the elimination of customs duties in the wake of EU accession will lend support to this regional construction, having its centre in Romania.
"EU integration will generate lots of export opportunities and will also open the Romanian borders to strong competitors," he believes. The elimination of custom duties will certainly boost exports. In the region, Danone has plants only in Romania and Bulgaria.
"Everything depends on demand coming from the markets we could export to. We have to develop the domestic market and take into consideration any opportunity that may arise on neighbouring markets," he says. Lavarene specified Romania was playing a crucial role in the Balkan region owing, on the one hand, to the growth potential of its market and to the rising number of consumers, on the other.
"In Romania we must make sure we are not missing any opportunity of speeding up our business," he adds.
Benoit de Lavarene has been with the Danone group for almost 20 years, having filled various positions in marketing departments, especially in France. Before coming to Romania, he worked as a marketing manager in Morocco for three years. Lavarene has been marketing manager with Danone Ro
